Whether you’re about to create your first business website or you’ve got an existing website that needs some attention, you definitely want to read thru this list to see if you’re on the right track with good web design practices. Below is a list of simple things to keep in mind as you consider your website…
1- One of the most important elements is the content on your site and how it is organized. Your content should be short and to the point. You want potential customers to be able to recognize what you offer and get the answers they need within the first 10 seconds of visiting your site. The text on your site should be easy to scan…few people will take the time to read thru long pages of content.
2- What is your call to action? If you want visitors to call you, make that clear in your messaging and make sure your phone number is prominent. If you want visitors to purchase your product(s) thru the site, make the whole checkout process super easy with minimal steps/clicks. If you want them to fill out a lead form, make it obvious, quick and easy.
3- Part of making it easy for visitors to get needed information is making the text easy to read. Steer clear of fancy fonts that make reading on the web frustrating. Stick to a web-safe font, make sure it’s not too small or too light or too dark…you need contrast between the color of the text and the background (red text on a black background will just give people a headache).
4- The overall design of the site should be clean, organized and easy to navigate. Make sure the information is easy to find and not buried 5 clicks deep. The links should be obvious; the user knows where they are going and where they have already been. The design should be consistent across all of the pages.
5- It’s important to convey your style and what’s unique about your company, but try to avoid gimmicks and clutter. Avoid excessive ads, blinking text, music, &talking cartoon characters, too many different elements. Lengthy Flash intros will annoy and clashing colors will kill the visitor’s experience. Just keep it simple.
When people are browsing sites, evaluating the competition, it’s critical that your message is clear and your image is trustworthy. If it takes too long to find answers or your site is giving them a headache, they’ll be gone with a single click.